WNBA Finals stars share why they joined Unrivaled, reactions to massive TNT deal

MINNEAPOLIS — Courtney Williams was in the midst of the WNBA semifinals when she finalized her decision to participate in Unrivaled, the new 3x3 women’s professional basketball league that will take place in Miami during the WNBA offseason. After her massive performance to clinch the Minnesota Lynx’s spot in the Finals, the league announced that the electric guard would be one of 30 players participating. The next day, she converted on four-point play that helped secure the Lynx’s Game 1 win.

Then, on the morning of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, Williams learned that Unrivaled announced a TV rights deal with TNT Sports.

“I was like, ‘Damn, that’s crazy,’ because I definitely didn’t know that’s how they was getting down,” she told SB Nation. “But that’s what’s up man. The fact that they able to get on that platform is crazy.”

Two of Williams’ Lynx teammates — Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride — had long been committed to playing in Unrivaled when Williams made her decision to take her talents to South Beach. Collier served one of the league’s two co-founders (Liberty star Breanna Stewart being the other), while McBride, who’s played for the Turkish club Fenerbahçe for the past four seasons, decided she’d go the Unrivaled route at the beginning of the summer.

McBride was excited by the chance to play, like Williams, she had no idea the TNT announcement was coming.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” she said. “It’s gonna be cool — just more eyes.”

For the Lynx trio, the offseason league will serve as a chance to spend time together during the winter, while also providing a substantial financial opportunity: all of the players in the inaugural class will receive equity in the league, and though salaries aren’t currently available, the league promises to offer the highest average salary of any women’s professional sports league.

“I’m really excited that Phee and Court are gonna be there,” McBride said. “It’s another opportunity for us to just kind of be around each other and learn about each other, so really excited about that. And, it’s just another opportunity for women’s basketball, to kind of propel it even further than I feel like it’s already grown.”

On the Liberty side, veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot is the only other publicly committed participant outside of Breanna Stewart. Vandersloot was excited by the chance to stay in the U.S. during the offseason while still getting to continue playing basketball. And, like many veteran WNBA players, she has spent the majority of her professional career heading overseas, with playing stints in Turkey, Russia, and Hungary.

“I immediately wanted to be a part of it,” Vandersloot told SB Nation. “Of course, I had to make a decision if it was right for my body, my career, all of those things. But just seeing the players that are in it, and having Stewie and Phee at the head of it, I think it’s in great hands.”

The 3x3 games will be played on a compressed full-court, an innovative concept intended to highlight’s skills that aren’t always showcased in the 5x5 game.

“There’s just more space,” Collier said on FanDuel’s Run It Back. “Our game has been compared to the NBA of the 80s, where it’s so paint-heavy and bogged down. This really gives us a chance to spread out.”

“The premise is the best 30 players in the world, so you’re going to be able to see top talent show their skillset every night,” Collier said. “Because there’s more room — it’s the same width as a normal court — the skillset that you’re going to be able to see is so fun.”

In addition to the five Unrivaled players who are currently in the WNBA Finals, the list of the committed players includes rookies Angel Reese and Rickea Jackson and Olympians Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby, Satou Sabally, and Jewell Loyd. There are up-and-coming young players like DiJonai Carrington, and established veterans like Brittney Griner, Tiffany Hayes and Skylar Diggins-Smith.

Allisha Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Brittney Sykes, Marina Mabrey, Natasha Cloud, Azurá Stevens, and Shakira Austin round out the list of participants. As it currently stands, players from every team except for the Indiana Fever are represented, but four remaining sports have yet to be announced.

Many of the players participating don’t have any real 3x3 basketball experience; McBride, Williams, and Vandersloot all told SB Nation this is uncharted territory.

“Street ball. That’s about it for me,” Williams said. “I ain’t never played any organized three-on-three basketball.”

And, even for those who have played 3x3 — Howard, Hamby, Plum, and Young have all played Olympic 3x3 basketball — the full-court concept is one that’s never been explored to this degree.

“We still have no real idea. It’s never really been done at this level, so it’ll be interesting,” Vandersloot said. “I think it’s going to benefit me, because I play at that kind of pace, that’s a strength of mine. So I’m looking forward to that. But, I’m just gonna have to live and learn and kind of see how it goes.”

With the Liberty leading the Lynx 2-1 in the WNBA Finals, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart are both primarily focused on their on-court duties right now. Still, the Unrivaled team has been hard at work throughout the playoffs, securing player commitments and negotiating the landmark media deal. Collier’s husband, Alex Bazzell, serves at the league’s president, and has been instrumental in getting the league off the ground.

“It’s more on the side for me, personally, because I’m playing — but the team is working really hard on it,” Collier said. “We’re just really excited to partner with TNT.”

Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has been in awe of her star players’ ability to simultaneously juggle an MVP-caliber WNBA season and the launch of Unrivaled.

“It’s impressive to be a professional basketball player trying to lift up the WNBA, and be a part of that growth, and then start your own league and get a TV deal, you know?” Reeve said.

It’s even more fitting that the Finals features Collier and Stewart at centerstage.

“This just gives us an even bigger platform to bring awareness to Unrivaled and what we’re going to be doing,” said Stewart, who grew up playing 3x3 with her dad at the local YMCA.

There’s still details around the league that haven’t been publicly shared. But the players are excited to be along for the ride. And for Williams, McBride, and Vandersloot, the fact that tStewart and Collier are at the helm made buying in easy.

“There was a lot of thought process coming into it,” Vandersloot said. “They have the right people in place there. It’s set up for success.”